The two universities are separated by 132 miles and have played each other 107 times with their first meeting on the gridiron in 1896.  It’s the longest uninterrupted rivalry in the South with the teams playing each other every single year since 1909.  Over the entire span of this rivalry, Clemson leads the series 65-38-4.

It is without question that South Carolina has enjoyed one their most successful seasons in the history of the program.  Winning the SEC East at South Carolina was always Spurrier’s goal and in his sixth year as head coach he has managed to achieve this, clinching the title in Gainesville against his alma mater and the school he formerly coached.  Clemson on the other hand, has endured a thoroughly disappointing season with a 6-5 record with only one win on the road against a weak Wake Forest team.  However, when it comes to the battle of the Palmetto State, expect both teams to come out sharp, excited, and ready to play.   Regardless of what they have accomplished year to date, this game means a lot to both teams.  Here is my take on what will happen Saturday night.

When South Carolina Has the Ball…

The offense of South Carolina has been anchored by their prolific running game led by the sensational true freshman running back, Marcus Lattimore.  The South Carolina native has had an immediate impact on the team’s offense as he has been the difference maker in the majority of their games.  Lattimore has amassed an astounding 1,066 yards on 209 carries through 11 games this season.  In South Carolina’s biggest three victories this year (UGA, Alabama, UF) Lattimore has averaged 33 carries for 162 yards.  Look for South Carolina to establish their running game early especially against a relatively weak Clemson linebackers corps.

I also anticipate the passing game will open later in the game for South Carolina.  Quarterback Stephen Garcia has found more success in passing the ball effectively this year due to the offenses’ ability to establish the run.  He’ll connect numerous times with his big athletic receivers in Alshon Jeffery standing at 6-4, 235 lbs and Tori Gurley at 6.5, 230 lbs.  Jeffrey averages about 17 yards a reception and is dangerous on the deep ball due his size and speed.  I believe that even with Clemson double teaming Jeffrey; he will still present problems to Clemson’s secondary.  However, the success of South Carolina’s passing game will be predicated upon their ability to protect Garcia.  The front four of Clemson is formidable led by Daquan Bowers and Brandon Thompson.  This Clemson defensive line is as good as South Carolina has faced all year.  The Gamecocks’ will have their hands full facing this group in the trenches.

One question that has been repeatedly speculated on by the fanbases of both teams is how many carries will Lattimore get on Saturday?  With South Carolina playing Auburn the next week for the SEC title, the Ole Ball Coach knows he’ll need Lattimore fresh, healthy, and ready to run the ball at least 30+ times.  It’s been their template for success all season.  I think with one eye on the game in Atlanta, Lattimore will get more like 15-18 carries and South Carolina will revert more to their passing game.  Either way, the Clemson Tigers defense will have to be on top of their game in order to contain South Carolina’s offensive weapons.

When Clemson Has the Ball…

Clemson’s offense has been all but consistent this year.  With running back Andre Ellington out due to injury, Jamie Harper has had to shoulder the load the past few games being fairly successful.  Last week against Wake Forest, Harper managed 142 yards on 24 carries but it was against a very weak defense.  The Clemson Tigers will need to have a really strong performance out of Jamie Harper this weekend to keep things close.  Should Clemson have to rely solely on their passing game it could be a very long night for the Tigers.  Kyle Parker’s mistakes and inconsistency paired with Clemson’s young wide receivers have caused the passing game to be very unpredictable.  No receiver has emerged as the true go to man, and scoring touchdowns in the red zone has been a problem throughout the year.  Basically, Clemson’s offense faces a number of questions going into this game especially against a very talented South Carolina defense ranked 36^th in points allowed and 2^nd in sacks.  Should Clemson look to turn things around on offense, it’s imperative the O-line protect Parker and with that protection, Kyle Parker plays the entire game mistake free.  Any turnovers against this talented South Carolina team will be detrimental to Clemson.

One final thing to emphasize with Clemson is that the game is at home, in Death Valley, at night. This fact doesn’t mitigate the uncertainty of Clemson’s ability to put points on the board, but it will give the Tigers a much needed confidence boost as the atmosphere of Clemson Memorial stadium will be incredible.  I think this one will be closer, probably closer than most think.

As a Clemson graduate, it’s hard to say this but I think South Carolina takes this one but by the slimmest of margins…

Clemson 20, South Carolina 21

While its very early in the season, with Auburn only facing one true test (narrowly edging out Mississippi State 17-14 in Starkville last Thursday night), the Auburn Tigers appear to be a very viable contender for the SEC West division and look to have what it takes on both sides of the ball to make a legitimate run at the SEC title.

The last time these two teams met was in the Peach Bowl in 2007 where Auburn won in overtime 23-20. While I believe Auburn has the edge in Saturday’s game, I feel that these two teams will play a close game decided in the 4th quarter. Below is quick breakdown of what to expect Saturday night:

When Auburn has the ball…

While Auburn has some very talented wide receivers and Cam Newton has shown he can throw the ball fairly well downfield, the meat of their offense is their running game. Gus Malzahan will create misdirection in their rushing attack confusing a Clemson defense that is talented but young, especially when it comes to their linebackers two of which are coming off injuries. Clemson has a very talented defense line anchored by Daquan Bowers (former #1 ESPN 150 recruit in 2008). However, as this unit pressures Cam Newton expect him to scramble for critical first downs all night. In Thursday nights’ win against Mississippi’s State the trio of Cam Newton, Onterio McCalebb, and true freshman Michael Dyer collectively rushed for 190 yards. I anticipate that Auburn’s running game will be on full display Saturday night moving the chains and controlling the clock.

When Clemson has the ball…

Clemson’s very athletic sophomore quarterback, Kyle Parker, was drafted #26 by the Colorado Rockies and was expected to play professional baseball this year. However, in late July he decided to return to Clemson for one more year to help the Clemson Tigers compete for an ACC Championship. The young talented quarterback showed himself to be a great decision maker at the helm with terrific arm strength. However, last year he had a prolific playmaker in CJ Spiller and some other experienced wide receivers which made his job easier. Clemson does have some playmakers this year at running back in Andre Ellington and Jamie Harper, but Auburn’s size and speed up front will pose problems for Clemson’s rushing attack as I expect Auburn will attempt to contain Clemson early in the game here. With this likely to occur, I expect Clemson to open up the offense and Kyle Parker will be forced to throw the ball down field quite a bit. While the receiving corps for Clemson is young and very inexperienced, they will face an Auburn secondary that is porous as evidenced by this unit giving up 323 total yards through the air to Arkansas State in their first game. This unit was a major problem for Auburn last year as well as it contributed to them being ranked 68th in total defense, second worst in the SEC.

Prediction

I will be attending the game Saturday night and I know the atmosphere will be electric. Auburn is a great school with phenomenal fans. With ESPN Gameday present on campus and a 7 pm kickoff on national television, the stadium will absolutely rocking. I expect the inexperience and youth of Clemson to show early on, as Auburn takes a lead in the first half. Later, I think Clemson will battle back to make it a 4th quarter game. However, as much as it pains me being a Clemson graduate to say this, I don’t believe it will be enough.

Clemson 17, Auburn 24

Florida – Relax Gator fans… it was ugly, but there are a few things to look at that should help you sleep between now and next Saturday at noon. Keep in mind that you lost quite a few big time players. Lets start with Brantley. When he was allowed to look down the field, he was pretty good (17-25, 113 yards, 2 TD). He hit his receivers on some big 3rd and 4th down plays and had a deep ball for a third TD dropped early on that could have changed the entire flow of the game. There is definitely work to be done at the Center position (13 mishandled exchanges) and the running game had a slow start. Things sure are different when 2-3 defenders don’t have to keep an eye on #15. The defense seemed to take on a ‘bend but don’t break’ attitude and only gave up a solid .2 yards per rush (4 total yards), and Janoris Jenkins looked great for week one. Regardless of who you play, not giving up a touchdown when the opponent starts with good field position is a good accomplishment.

LSU – Big games like this are much like rivalry games where no matter what your team or record looks like, both teams come to play. SEC/ACC matchup, 2 ranked teams, Georgia Dome, ESPN night game… All of this things make for a tough matchup a large majority of the time. Yes North Carolina was down quite a few men, but keep in mind that these are still big time athletes with a good football coach. Going into the 4th quarter, the Tigers were up 30-10 and in control. A late surge by the Tar Heels made it a close one. North Carolina was held to 24 rushing yards on 33 carries. Say what you want… but this is a big win for LSU.

South Carolina – Finally a week one game for the Game Cocks to get excited about. Garcia living up to the hype maybe?! He looked good, his receivers looked HUGE (I would throw to Jeffery every time as well), and Lattimore is going to be a stud. Next weekend against Georgia in Columbia will be a fun one to watch. Should be the 7th SEC team to be in the top 25 this week.

Auburn – Cam Newton (SEC offensive player of the week) can take all of the laptops he wants on Auburns campus after week one. He surpassed expectations and was able to run and throw very effectively. 186 in the air and 171 on the ground is not too bad in his debut. Dyer looked like a ball player and the trickery on offense was at full force. The defense will need to step it up next week against Dan Mullens Mississippi state offense but the crew of defensive backs who sat out most of last year with injuries will begin to shine due to their experience as Auburn moves forward.

Alabama – 48-3. Take your time Ingram. Apparently Alabama is about 5 deep at the running back position. Next week will be fun as Penn State comes to town to continue the SEC over Big Ten trend.

Arkansas – 44-3. Big time game by Ryan Mallett.

Georgia – 55-7 win without Aj Green.

Mississippi State – 49-7. 569 yards of offense.

Kentucky – Big rivalry win over Louisville and coach Charlie Strong.  UK Coach Joker Phillips wins his first game as SEC coach.

Tennessee – 50-0. 537 yards of offense.

Vandy – It’s Vandy – what do you expect?

Ole Miss – Don’t remind me.

Keep your chins up! All in all, not too bad. The SEC should have 7, yes 7, teams ranked after this week. The bottom of the barrel (Vandy and Ole Miss) seem pretty week but the top 10 teams in the conference may be as strong as its been as a whole in a long time.